Apparatus for separating semiconductor chip and method for separating semiconductor by using same

ABSTRACT

Disclosed are an apparatus and a method for separating a semiconductor chip disposed on a base member via an adhesive member from the base member. The method includes: a step of providing a push member on a side of the base member opposite to a side on which the semiconductor chip is disposed and moving the push member in a direction adjacent to the semiconductor chip; and a step of separating the semiconductor chip, moved together with the push member, from the base member through a pick-up unit. The adhesive member and the push member are each magnetized such that repulsive forces act on each other.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This application is a 35 U.S.C. 371 National Phase Entry Applicationfrom PCT/KR2021/001495 filed on Feb. 4, 2021, which claims the benefitof the filing date of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0014526,filed with the Korean Intellectual Property Office on Feb. 6, 2020, theentire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Thepresent invention relates to an apparatus for separating a semiconductorchip and a method for separating a semiconductor chip using the same.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In general, in a semiconductor manufacturing process, a process ofcutting, at a chip level, several semiconductor chips integrallyattached on a wafer is called a sawing process, and for the sawingprocess, a base member for fixing semiconductor chips to be cut, aso-called dicing tape is attached to the lower surface of the wafer.

Each semiconductor chip separated at the chip level through the sawingprocess is sent to a die attach process, and in the die attach process,each semiconductor chip is separated and picked up from the base memberby using a pick-up unit and the like, and is transported to anelectrical connection means such as a substrate and a lead frame.

Meanwhile, according to the recent trend, the size of a semiconductorchip is gradually getting smaller and the thickness thereof is alsogetting smaller. Furthermore, according to such a trend, the thicknessof a die attach film (DAF) interposed between the semiconductor chip andthe base member is also getting smaller.

As described above, as the scale of the semiconductor chip and the DAFchange, the frequencies of occurrence of cracks and semiconductor chippick-up misses are increasing in the semiconductor chip separation andpick-up process, resulting in a decrease in yield.

In the related art, in order to improve the pick-up property of anobject to be picked up, the object to be picked up is pushed up withseveral ejectors, that is, the object to be picked up is pushed up fromthe bottom thereof with the ejectors, and simultaneously, a pick-up unitperforms pickup by fixing the pushed object to be picked up, withvacuum, at the top of the object to be picked up. However, when theejectors are used, there is a problem in that force is locally appliedto the object to be picked up, which causes a problem in that the objectto be picked up with a small thickness is broken.

The background art described above is technology information, which hasbeen possessed by the present inventors for deriving embodiments of thepresent invention or acquired in the process of deriving the embodimentsof the present invention, and it may not be necessarily said that thebackground art is a publicly-known technology disclosed to the generalpublic prior to the filing of the application for the embodiments of thepresent invention.

DISCLOSURE Brief Description of the Invention

Embodiments of the present invention provide an apparatus and a methodfor easily separating a semiconductor chip disposed on a base member viaan adhesive member from the base member.

Problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to theaforementioned problems, and the other unmentioned problems will beclearly understood by those skilled in the art from the followingdescription.

An embodiment of the present invention provides a method for separatinga semiconductor chip disposed on a base member via an adhesive memberfrom the base member, the method including: a step of providing a pushmember on a side of the base member opposite to a side on which thesemiconductor chip is disposed and moving the push member in a directionadjacent to the semiconductor chip; and a step of separating thesemiconductor chip, moved together with the push member, from the basemember through a pick-up unit, wherein the adhesive member and the pushmember are each magnetized such that repulsive forces act on each other.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the adhesive memberand the push member may be magnetized in the thickness directionthereof.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, an upper surface ofthe push member may be smaller than a lower surface of the semiconductorchip.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the adhesive membermay be a die attach film (DAF).

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the die attach filmmay be manufactured by providing a magnetic material to a liquid mixturecontaining a polymer, magnetizing the magnetic material such that themagnetic material is aligned in a predetermined direction, and dryingthe liquid mixture.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the pick-up unitmay suck the semiconductor chip by forming vacuum therein.

An embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus forseparating a semiconductor chip disposed on a base member via anadhesive member from the base member, the apparatus including: a pushmember that moves the semiconductor chip by moving from the base memberin a direction adjacent to the semiconductor chip; and a pick-up unitthat separates the semiconductor chip from the base member by picking upthe semiconductor chip moved together with the push member, wherein theadhesive member and the push member are each magnetized such thatrepulsive forces act on each other, and the push member is provided on aside of the base member opposite to a side on which the semiconductorchip is disposed.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the adhesive memberand the push member may be magnetized in the thickness directionthereof.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, an upper surface ofthe push member may be smaller than a lower surface of the semiconductorchip.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the adhesive membermay be a die attach film (DAF).

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the die attach filmmay be manufactured by providing a magnetic material to a liquid mixturecontaining a polymer, magnetizing the magnetic material such that themagnetic material is aligned in a predetermined direction, and dryingthe liquid mixture.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the pick-up unitmay suck the semiconductor chip by forming vacuum therein.

Advantageous Effects

In accordance with the apparatus for separating a semiconductor chip andthe method for separating a semiconductor chip using the same accordingto an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to easilyseparate and pick up only a specific semiconductor chip to be separatedand picked up from the base member without affecting other semiconductorchips around the specific semiconductor chip.

Effects of the present invention are not limited to the aforementionedeffects and unmentioned effects will be clearly understood by thoseskilled in the art from the specification of the present application andthe accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a view schematically illustrating a structure of asemiconductor chip disposed on a base member via an adhesive memberaccording to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a view schematically illustrating a process of separating asemiconductor chip by a push member and a pick-up unit according to anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method for separating asemiconductor chip according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention will become apparent by reference to the followingembodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, thepresent invention is not limited to such embodiments and may be realizedin various forms. The embodiments to be described below are nothing butthe ones provided to bring the disclosure of the present invention toperfection and assist those skilled in the art to which the presentinvention pertains to completely understand the scope of the presentinvention. The present invention is defined only by the scope of theappended claims. The terminology used herein is for the purpose ofdescribing embodiments only and is not intended to limit the presentinvention. As used herein, the singular forms are intended to includethe plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicatesotherwise. The terms “comprises” and/or “comprising” of statedcomponent, step, operation and/or element, when used herein, do notexclude the presence or addition of one or more other components, steps,operations, and/or elements. The terms such as first and second may beused to describe various components, but the components are not limitedby the terms. The terms are used only to distinguish one component fromanother component.

FIG. 1 is a view schematically illustrating a structure of asemiconductor chip disposed on a base member via an adhesive memberaccording to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is aview schematically illustrating a process of separating thesemiconductor chip by a push member and a pick-up unit according to anembodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 , an embodiment of the present inventionrelates to a method for separating a semiconductor chip 3 disposed on abase member 1 via an adhesive member 2 from the base member 1.

FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 each illustrate several semiconductor chips obtainedby cutting the semiconductor chip 3, integrally attached on a wafer, ata chip level through a sawing process.

The base member 1 for fixing semiconductor chips cut before the sawingprocess, a so-called a dicing tape, is attached in advance to the lowersurface of the wafer. Accordingly, even after the sawing process, asillustrated in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 , the semiconductor chip 3 is attachedon the base member 1 via the adhesive member 2.

The adhesive member 2 may be made of an adhesive tape, for example, adie attach film (DAF).

Meanwhile, FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method for separating asemiconductor chip according to an embodiment of the present invention.Referring to FIG. 3 , the method for separating a semiconductor chipaccording to an embodiment of the present invention includes a step S11of providing a push member 4 on a side 1 b of the base member 1 oppositeto a side 1 a on which the semiconductor chip 3 is disposed and movingthe push member 4 in a direction adjacent to the semiconductor chip 3,and a step S13 of separating the semiconductor chip 3, which is movedtogether with the push member 4, from the base member 1 through apick-up unit 5.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the adhesive member2 and the push member 4 are each magnetized such that repulsive forcesact on each other.

Specifically, the adhesive member 2 and the push member 4 may bemagnetized in the thickness direction thereof. For example, asillustrated in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 , the adhesive member 2 may bemagnetized such that its upper side is an N pole and its lower side isan S pole in the thickness direction thereof, and the push member 4 maybe magnetized such that its upper side is an S pole and its lower sideis an N pole in the thickness direction thereof so as to enable arepulsive force to act on the adhesive member 2. On the contrary, theadhesive member 2 may be magnetized such that its upper side is an Spole and its lower side is an N pole in the thickness direction thereof,and the push member 4 may be magnetized such that its upper side is an Npole and its lower side is an S pole in the thickness direction thereofso as to enable a repulsive force to act on the adhesive member 2.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the push member 4may be magnetized in the thickness direction, which is a desireddirection, by generating a magnetic field in a direction, which isopposite to a direction in which the adhesive member 2 is magnetized, byusing an electromagnet. Specifically, an electromagnet, which is amember in which a coil is wound, is provided in the thickness directionof the push member 4, and a current is applied to the electromagnet togenerate a magnetic field by the electromagnetic induction principle. Byadjusting the predetermined magnetization direction of the adhesivemember 2 and the direction of the current such that a repulsive force isgenerated, the semiconductor chip 3 may be separated from the basemember 1 by a repulsive force between the push member 4 and the adhesivemember 2. In addition, the push member 4 itself may be magnetized togenerate a repulsive force with the adhesive member 2, and the pushmember 4 is made of a conductive material and connected to theelectromagnet to generate a magnet field while a current is beingapplied thereto, thereby generating a repulsive force with the adhesivemember 2. By magnetizing the push member 4 in the aforementioned method,the semiconductor chip 3 may be easily separated from the base member 1.

Through this, when the push member 4 is moved in the direction adjacentto the semiconductor chip 3, the adhesive member 2 is moved by therepulsive force in a direction spaced apart from the push member 4together with the semiconductor chip 3, so that the semiconductor chip 3may be easily separated from the base member 1.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, preferably, anupper surface 4 a of the push member 4 is smaller than a lower surface 3a of the semiconductor chip 3. This is for reducing the influence of therepulsive force between the push member 4 and the adhesive member 2 onthe adhesive member 2 disposed around the push member 4.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the die attach film(DAF) may be manufactured by providing a magnetic material to a liquidmixture containing a polymer, magnetizing the magnetic material suchthat the magnetic material is aligned in a predetermined direction, andthen drying the liquid mixture.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the magneticmaterial is dispersed in the liquid mixture containing the polymer, acoating layer is formed using the liquid mixture containing thedispersed magnetic material, and a magnetic field is applied to a lowersurface of the coating layer, so that the dispersed magnetic materialmay be aligned with the thickness direction, which is a desireddirection, as a magnetization direction. Specifically, the magneticmaterial is dispersed in the liquid mixture containing the polymer, thecoating layer is formed with the liquid mixture containing the dispersedmagnetic material, and then the magnetic field is applied to the lowersurface of the coating layer, so that the dispersed magnetic materialmay be aligned in a direction parallel to the direction of the magneticfield. By aligning the magnetic material in the aforementioned method,the adhesive member 2 may be implemented to have magnetism in thethickness direction.

Meanwhile, according to an embodiment of the present invention, thepick-up unit 5 may be a means for sucking the semiconductor chip 3 byforming vacuum therein. Specifically, the pick-up unit 5 may be curvedinward from a surface in contact with the semiconductor chip 3 to form aspace, thereby sucking the semiconductor chip 3 by using the spaceformed as a vacuum condition.

An embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus 10 forseparating the semiconductor chip 3 disposed on the base member 1 viathe adhesive member 2 from the base member 1, the apparatus 10including: the push member 4 that moves the semiconductor chip 3 bymoving from the base member 1 in a direction adjacent to thesemiconductor chip 3; and the pick-up unit 5 that separates thesemiconductor chip 3 from the base member 1 by picking up thesemiconductor chip 3 moved together with the push member 4, in which theadhesive member 2 and the push member 4 are each magnetized such thatrepulsive forces act on each other, and the push member 4 is provided ona side of the base member 1 opposite to a side on which thesemiconductor chip 3 is disposed.

In accordance with the apparatus for separating a semiconductor chipaccording to an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible toeasily separate and pick up only a specific semiconductor chip to beseparated and picked up from the base member without affecting othersemiconductor chips around the specific semiconductor chip.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the adhesive member2 and the push member 4 may be magnetized in the thickness directionthereof. Specifically, the adhesive member 2 and the push member 4 maybe magnetized in the thickness direction thereof. For example, asillustrated in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 , the adhesive member 2 may bemagnetized such that its upper side is an N pole and its lower side isan S pole in the thickness direction thereof, and the push member 4 maybe magnetized such that its upper side is an S pole and its lower sideis an N pole in the thickness direction thereof so as to enable arepulsive force to act on the adhesive member 2. On the contrary, theadhesive member 2 may be magnetized such that its upper side is an Spole and its lower side is an N pole in the thickness direction thereof,and the push member 4 may be magnetized such that its upper side is an Npole and its lower side is an S pole in the thickness direction thereofso as to enable a repulsive force to act on the adhesive member 2. Asdescribed above, since the adhesive member 2 and the push member 4 aremagnetized in the thickness direction and implemented such that therepulsive force acts, when the push member 4 is moved in the directionadjacent to the semiconductor chip 3, the adhesive member 2 is moved bythe repulsive force in a direction spaced apart from the push member 4together with the semiconductor chip 3, so that the semiconductor chip 3may be easily separated from the base member 1.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the push member 4may be magnetized in the thickness direction, which is a desireddirection, by generating a magnetic field in a direction, which isopposite to a direction in which the adhesive member 2 is magnetized, byusing an electromagnet. Specifically, an electromagnet, which is amember in which a coil is wound, is provided in the thickness directionof the push member 4, and a current is applied to the electromagnet togenerate a magnetic field by the electromagnetic induction principle. Byadjusting the predetermined magnetization direction of the adhesivemember 2 and the direction of the current such that a repulsive force isgenerated, the semiconductor chip 3 may be separated from the basemember 1 by a repulsive force between the push member 4 and the adhesivemember 2. In addition, the push member 4 itself may be magnetized togenerate a repulsive force with the adhesive member 2, and the pushmember 4 is made of a conductive material and connected to theelectromagnet to generate a magnet field while a current is beingapplied thereto, thereby generating a repulsive force with the adhesivemember 2. By magnetizing the push member 4 in the aforementioned method,the semiconductor chip 3 may be easily separated from the base member 1.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the upper surfaceof the push member 4 may be smaller than the lower surface of thesemiconductor chip 3. As described above, the upper surface of the pushmember 4 is implemented to be smaller than the lower surface of thesemiconductor chip 3, thereby reducing the influence of the repulsiveforce between the push member 4 and the adhesive member 2 on theadhesive member 2 disposed around the push member 4.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the adhesive member2 may be the die attach film (DAF). By selecting the adhesive member 2as the die attach film as described above, the semiconductor chip 3 maybe easily attached to a wafer.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the die attach film(DAF) may be manufactured by providing a magnetic material to a liquidmixture containing a polymer, magnetizing the magnetic material suchthat the magnetic material is aligned in a predetermined direction, andthen drying the liquid mixture. By manufacturing the die attach film(DAF) as described above, the magnetization direction may be easilyadjusted.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the magneticmaterial is dispersed in the liquid mixture containing the polymer, acoating layer is formed using the liquid mixture containing thedispersed magnetic material, and a magnetic field is applied to a lowersurface of the coating layer, so that the dispersed magnetic materialmay be aligned with the thickness direction, which is a desireddirection, as a magnetization direction. Specifically, the magneticmaterial is dispersed in the liquid mixture containing the polymer, thecoating layer is formed with the liquid mixture containing the dispersedmagnetic material, and then the magnetic field is applied to the lowersurface of the coating layer, so that the dispersed magnetic materialmay be aligned in a direction parallel to the direction of the magneticfield. By aligning the magnetic material in the aforementioned method,the adhesive member 2 may be implemented to have magnetism in thethickness direction.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the pick-up unit 5may be configured to suck the semiconductor chip 3 by forming vacuumtherein. Specifically, the pick-up unit 5 may be curved inward from asurface in contact with the semiconductor chip 3 to form a space,thereby sucking the semiconductor chip 3 by using the space formed as avacuum condition. As described above, the pick-up unit 5 forms vacuum tosuck the semiconductor chip 3, thereby minimizing damage to the surfaceof the semiconductor chip 3 and improving the pick-up property of thesemiconductor chip 3 because the pick-up unit 5 is used together withthe push member 4.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible toeasily separate and pick up only a specific semiconductor chip to beseparated and picked up from the base member without affecting othersemiconductor chips around the specific semiconductor chip.

Although the present invention has been described in relation to thepreferred embodiment described above, various corrections ormodifications can be made without departing from the subject matter andscope of the disclosure. Therefore, the appended claims will includesuch corrections or modifications as long as they belong to the subjectmatter of the present invention.

1. A method for separating a semiconductor chip disposed on a basemember via an adhesive member from the base member, the methodcomprising: a step of providing a push member on a side of the basemember opposite to a side on which the semiconductor chip is disposedand moving the push member in a direction adjacent to the semiconductorchip; and a step of separating the semiconductor chip, moved togetherwith the push member, from the base member through a pick-up unit,wherein the adhesive member and the push member are each magnetized suchthat repulsive forces act on each other.
 2. The method according toclaim 1, wherein the adhesive member and the push member are magnetizedin a thickness direction thereof.
 3. The method according to claim 1,wherein an upper surface of the push member is smaller than a lowersurface of the semiconductor chip.
 4. The method according to claim 1,wherein the adhesive member is a die attach film (DAF).
 5. The methodaccording to claim 4, wherein the die attach film is manufactured byproviding a magnetic material to a liquid mixture containing a polymer,magnetizing the magnetic material such that the magnetic material isaligned in a predetermined direction, and drying the liquid mixture. 6.The method according to claim 1, wherein the pick-up unit sucks thesemiconductor chip by forming vacuum therein.
 7. An apparatus forseparating a semiconductor chip disposed on a base member via anadhesive member from the base member, the apparatus comprising: a pushmember that moves the semiconductor chip by moving from the base memberin a direction adjacent to the semiconductor chip; and a pick-up unitthat separates the semiconductor chip from the base member by picking upthe semiconductor chip moved together with the push member, wherein theadhesive member and the push member are each magnetized such thatrepulsive forces act on each other, and the push member is provided on aside of the base member opposite to a side on which the semiconductorchip is disposed.
 8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein theadhesive member and the push member are magnetized in a thicknessdirection thereof.
 9. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein anupper surface of the push member is smaller than a lower surface of thesemiconductor chip.
 10. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein theadhesive member is a die attach film (DAF).
 11. The apparatus accordingto claim 10, wherein the die attach film is manufactured by providing amagnetic material to a liquid mixture containing a polymer, magnetizingthe magnetic material such that the magnetic material is aligned in apredetermined direction, and drying the liquid mixture.
 12. Theapparatus according to claim 7, wherein the pick-up unit sucks thesemiconductor chip by forming vacuum therein.